Westerville council postpones final vote on 'smart meters'

Westerville residents will have an extra month to weigh in on whether they want "smart meters."

Westervilleresidents will have an extra month to weigh in on whether they want "smart meters."

Citing public concerns about privacy and costs last week, the Westerville City Council postponed until Sept. 7 a vote on funding for the advanced electronic meters.

The council did approve a resolution aimed at calming some of the fears residents have expressed about the proposal. Among the assurances: participation in the smart-meter program would be voluntary, the meters wouldn't be used to limit utility consumption, and personal and use information wouldn't be published or distributed.

The meters would allow remote monitoring of electricity use.

They would cost the city's electric division about $2.7 million, which would be financed over seven years and result in a rate increase of less than 1percent.

The total $7 million cost of the project would be offset by a $4.3 million federal grant, $1.15 million in cost-sharing for software with a private company, and $2.5million already being spent by the city on its fiber-optics system.